Adsorption of benzalkonium chlorides onto polyethylene microplastics: Mechanism and toxicity evaluation

Usage of disposable plastic products and disinfectants has been skyrocketing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The random disposal of plastic products may result in greater microplastic pollution. Benzalkonium chloride is known as one of the most common ingredients of disinfectants. In this study, the adsorption behavior of benzalkonium chlorides (BAC12, BAC14, BAC16) on polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and the combined toxic effects were investigated using batch adsorption experiment and Daphnia magna. The results showed that PE-MPs had strong adsorption capacity for BACs and the adsorption capacity increased (11.03–22.77 mg g−1) with their octanol-water distribution coefficients. The effect of pH was negligible while dissolved organic matter inhibited the adsorption. A slightly inverse relationship between particle size of PE-MPs and adsorption was observed. Additionally, the MP aging with UV/H2O2 increased the adsorption of BAC12 but decreased that of relatively hydrophobic BAC14 and BAC16. The survival rate of Daphnia magna increased up to 100% in the presence of PE-MPs depending upon their adsorption capacities, suggesting that PE-MPs do not act as a carrier but rather as a scavenger for BACs. This study provides important information necessary for environmental risk assessment with regard to the combined pollution of MPs and toxic chemicals.